TrackPostcode.UK

Area report

Is Lichfield a good place to live?

Lichfield, West Midlands, England

63 / 100
GoodOverall score

Report completeness: 90%. Score is based on the categories with data loaded for this area.

66Remote workers
60Families
60Retirees
65Young professionals
63Students

In short

Lichfield scores 63 out of 100 overall, which places it below the median of the 539 UK areas we have scored. Its biggest lead is housing, scoring 92 against the English median of 83; its biggest shortfall is healthcare, 28 against 54.

  • Nearest scored area: Tamworth, about 7 miles away, scoring 74.
  • Median overall score across the 539 areas in our index: 67 out of 100.
  • Report completeness 90 per cent: categories without data are excluded rather than estimated.

How detailed is this report?

Open data is published at different levels of detail, and this report always uses the most granular level available rather than pretending otherwise.

  • Point-level for this exact location: Crime (recorded within about one mile of this exact point); Lifestyle (amenities within about 2 km of this exact point); Healthcare (facilities within about 2 km, hospitals within about 8 km); Transport (stops within 800 m and the nearest railway station); Air quality (the 1 km grid cell containing this point).
  • Council-level, covering all of Lichfield: Cost of living, Affordability, Housing, Employment, Broadband, Education. Every postcode and town in the council shares these figures.
  • Not scored here: Weather (the nearest Met Office historic station, Sutton Bonington, is 42 km away), too far to describe this location, so it is left out of the overall score.

Research this area further with trusted open data: police.uk street-level crime map, HM Land Registry sold prices, ONS local area profiles, Ofcom broadband checker. This report is open-source intelligence: everything is built from published government and public datasets you can check yourself.

49 / 100
FairAffordability score
£337,052Average price2026-06
8.6xPrice to earningsvs UK median full-time salary
£39,039Earnings assumedONS ASHE, updated annually

With a ten per cent deposit, the average Lichfield home needs borrowing of 7.7 times a single UK median full-time salary of £39,039, beyond the 4.5 times most lenders will go to, so it takes a second income or a larger deposit. Try your own figures below.

£
£

Guidance only, using standard lending multiples and typical outgoings. Not a mortgage offer or financial advice. TrackPostcode.UK is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; always seek independent professional advice before financial decisions.

92 / 100
ExcellentHousing score
£337,052Average price2026-06
+3.9%Annual change

UK House Price Index for Lichfield, all property types. Steady growth scores best; sharp falls and overheating both score lower.

Crime and safety

Source: police.uk
53 / 100
FairSafety score
72Violent crime
49Anti-social behaviour
6Vehicle crime
15Burglary
29Shoplifting
236All recorded

All recorded crime by type

CategoryRecorded (2026-08)
Violent crime72
Anti social behaviour49
Shoplifting29
Public order21
Burglary15
Other theft13
Criminal damage arson12
Drugs6
Vehicle crime6
Robbery5
Possession of weapons3
Other crime3
Bicycle theft2

In 2026-08, 236 crimes were recorded within about a mile of this point in Lichfield - a busy level of recorded crime, typical of urban centres. The most common headline category was violent crime. City and town centres naturally record more incidents than residential streets, so compare like for like.

Recorded crime within about one mile, 2026-08. Busy centres record more than quiet suburbs because more people pass through them than live there, so compare similar types of place. How safety is scored.

Weather and outdoors

Source: Met Office

No weather score for Lichfield. The nearest Met Office historic station, Sutton Bonington, is 42 km away, beyond the 40 km we accept, so its climate would describe somewhere else. Weather is left out of the overall score here rather than borrowed. Why.

87 / 100
ExcellentBroadband score
97.8%Superfast availabilitypremises with 30 Mbit/s or more
83.5%Gigabit availabilitypremises with 1 Gbit/s capable

Ofcom Connected Nations coverage for Lichfield: the share of premises that can get each service, not the share that has taken it up.

34 / 100
ChallengingEducation score
45.2Attainment 8 average score202425
Council levelMeasured atshared by the whole local authority

Local authority average, key stage 4, state-funded schools. Source: Department for Education. Each nation publishes its own measure, so this compares within England only. How education is scored.

28 / 100
ChallengingHealthcare score
0GP surgerieswithin about 2 km
3Pharmacieswithin about 2 km
3Dentistswithin about 2 km
1Hospitalswithin about 8 km

Counted from OpenStreetMap around this exact point; a nearby GP and pharmacy carry the most weight. How it is scored. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

68 / 100
GoodEmployment score
80.1%Employment rateaged 16-64
NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026Survey period

ONS Annual Population Survey for Lichfield, via NOMIS. Most UK councils fall between about 62% and 82% employment.

89 / 100
ExcellentEnvironment score
6.83 µg/m³PM2.5 annual meanWHO guideline: 5 µg/m³
8.21 µg/m³NO2 annual meanWHO guideline: 10 µg/m³
2024Data year

Defra modelled background air for the 1 km grid cell around this point (Crown copyright), scored against the WHO 2021 guidelines.

73 / 100
Very goodTransport score
37Stops within 800 mbus, tram and metro
0.3 kmNearest railway stationLichfield City Rail Station
Point-levelMeasured atthis exact location

DfT NaPTAN stops around this exact point. Twelve or more stops within 800 m, and a station within 1 km, each earn full marks.

Cost of living

Source: ONS
65 / 100
GoodCost of living score
£1,098Average monthly rentall property types
Jun-26Data period
34%Rent as share of payof UK median full-time gross pay

Average private rent, from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents. Rent stands in for cost of living because it is the largest living cost and the one that varies most between places.

Lifestyle and amenities

Source: OpenStreetMap
54 / 100
FairLifestyle score
308Amenities nearbywithin about 2 km
79 + 100Food/drink + shops
91Parks and sport spots

What is nearby

CategoryCount
Food and drink79
Shops100
Health services7
Schools and learning25
Parks and sport91
Culture and community6

Counted from OpenStreetMap within about 2 km of this exact point; private gardens are not counted. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Who Lichfield suits

Of the 4 profiles we score, Lichfield suits young professionals best, at 65 out of 100.

Lichfield suits most households about equally: from the bottom 40% for young professionals to the bottom 19% for retirees of the 539 areas we have scored.

How Lichfield ranks for each type of household
HouseholdScoreStandingWhat it weights
Young professionals65bottom 40%Weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband.
Students63bottom 28%Weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety.
Remote workers66bottom 26%Weighted towards broadband, cost of living, environment and weather.
Families60bottom 22%Weighted towards schools, safety, housing and healthcare.
Retirees60bottom 19%Weighted towards healthcare, safety, environment and cost of living.

The same twelve scores, weighted per household. Set your own weights in the relocation quiz.

Stands out on

  • Housing
  • Broadband
  • Environment

Worth checking carefully

  • Healthcare
  • Education

Built only from the categories with data; 1 is still to load for this area.

How Lichfield compares

Lichfield compared with every other area we have scored
CategoryLichfieldEngland medianUK medianvs England medianUK position
Cost of living657172-6bottom 32%
Affordability496468-15bottom 23%
Safety535252+1top 48%
Employment686159+7top 21%
Housing928383+9top 27%
Transport737575-2bottom 43%
Broadband878888-1bottom 46%
Environment8989910bottom 42%
Healthcare285452-26bottom 8%
Education343940-5bottom 26%
Lifestyle545654-2top 50%

Medians and positions are across the 539 areas in our index. Safety and education are measured differently in each nation, so read those two rows against the England median only.

What Lichfield does well. Measured against everywhere else in the index, the standouts are housing (92, 9 above the median).

Where it falls short. Healthcare (28, 26 below) and affordability (49, 15 below).

Near Lichfield, and places like it

Of the 6 scored areas within about 50 miles of Lichfield, 6 score higher: Tamworth (74), Cannock (74), Burton upon Trent (74) and 3 others. Lichfield scores 63. Tamworth is ahead mainly on healthcare (+43).

Scored areas within about 50 miles of Lichfield
AreaDistanceWhereOverallBand
Tamworth6.6 milesTamworth, West Midlands, England74Very good
Rugeley7.1 milesCannock Chase, West Midlands, England71Very good
Royal Sutton Coldfield8.3 milesBirmingham, West Midlands, England66Good
Cannock8.6 milesCannock Chase, West Midlands, England74Very good
Walsall9.3 milesWalsall, West Midlands, England71Very good
Burton upon Trent11 milesEast Staffordshire, West Midlands, England74Very good

Straight-line distances, so roads are longer. Any place not listed can be searched directly.

Areas with the most similar scoring profile to Lichfield
AreaWhereOverallAverage gap
BromsgroveBromsgrove, West Midlands, England653.5
BraintreeBraintree, East of England, England614.2
TrowbridgeWiltshire, South West, England664.5
SudburyBabergh, East of England, England635.4
ChippenhamWiltshire, South West, England675.5

Average score gap across every category both areas have, so smaller is closer. Neighbouring areas are left out.

Crime in Lichfield: what kind, not just how much

Source: police.uk

The mix of offence types here sits close to the pattern across the areas we have scored, with nothing more than four percentage points out of proportion. The total volume, rather than the composition, is what distinguishes Lichfield.

Recorded crime in Lichfield by type, August 2026
Offence typeCountShareTypical shareDifference
Violence and sexual offences7230.5%34.0%-3.5
Anti-social behaviour4920.8%17.9%+2.9
Shoplifting2912.3%10.5%+1.8
Public order218.9%7.4%+1.5
Burglary156.4%2.5%+3.9
Other theft135.5%5.6%-0.1
Criminal damage and arson125.1%7.0%-1.9
Drugs62.5%2.5%+0.0

236 offences recorded within about a mile of this point in August 2026, from police.uk. Counts are of offences reported to the police, so they reflect both crime and the willingness to report it. "Typical share" is the median across the areas in our index that have a breakdown, which is England and Wales only: Police Scotland does not publish to police.uk.

What a home in Lichfield actually costs

Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI

The average home in Lichfield is £337,052, 25 per cent above the median of the areas we have scored. With a ten per cent deposit of £33,705, repaying the rest costs about £1,954 a month, £856 more than renting at the local average of £1,098, and needs a household income of about £67,400 to borrow.

The cost of buying in Lichfield
MeasureFigure
Average property price£337,052 (June 2026)
Change over 12 months+3.9%, rising
Against our index median25% above the £270,569 median across every area we have scored
10% deposit£33,705
15% deposit£50,558
Price to earnings8.6 times UK median full-time earnings of £39,039
Monthly repayment£1,954 on a £303,347 mortgage (10% deposit, 6% over 25 years)
Against renting£856 more than the £1,098 average monthly rent
Income to borrow itAbout £67,400 a year at 4.5 times income

Council-wide average across all property types; the multiple uses UK median full-time earnings (April 2025 (ONS ASHE)). Illustrative arithmetic, not a mortgage assessment or financial advice; TrackPostcode.UK is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Air quality in Lichfield, against the limits

Source: Defra modelled background maps

Fine particulates, at 6.8, sit inside the UK 2040 target of 10 but above the World Health Organization guideline of 5, as in most of Britain. Nitrogen dioxide, at 8.2, is well inside the UK limit of 40 and inside the WHO guideline of 10.

Modelled background air quality in Lichfield, micrograms per cubic metre
PollutantLichfieldUK objectiveWHO guidelineStanding
Fine particulates (PM2.5)6.8105Inside the UK target, above the WHO guideline
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)8.24010Inside both

Neighbourhood background levels from the Defra 1 km model; readings beside a busy road are higher. UK figures are the legal limit (NO₂) and 2040 target (PM2.5); WHO figures are health guidelines, not law.

Questions about Lichfield

Is Lichfield a good place to live?

Lichfield has an overall liveability score of 63 out of 100 (good) on TrackPostcode.UK, based on 90% of categories currently loaded. It scores best on housing and broadband. The score combines cost, affordability, safety, weather and more from open government data.

What is the crime rate in Lichfield?

About 236 crimes were recorded within roughly a mile of Lichfield in 2026-08 (police.uk), giving a safety score of 53 out of 100. Town and city centres naturally record more than residential streets.

What is the weather like in Lichfield?

The weather section shows annual sunshine, rainfall and typical temperatures for Lichfield from Met Office climate data for the location.

How expensive is it to live in Lichfield?

Average private rent in the Lichfield area is about £1,098 a month (Jun-26, ONS), giving Lichfield a cost-of-living score of 65 out of 100. Use the affordability calculator to estimate what you could comfortably afford here.

What are house prices like in Lichfield?

The average property price in Lichfield is about £337,052 (2026-06, HM Land Registry). Prices changed +3.9% over the year. See the affordability section for how that compares to local earnings.

Is Lichfield safe?

Lichfield scores 53 out of 100 for safety - fair - measured from recorded crime within about a mile of this point for the latest published month (police.uk). That puts it in the top 48% of every area in our index. A safety score is a comparison with other areas rather than a guarantee about a street. Town and city centres record more crime than residential suburbs largely because more people pass through them, so compare places of a similar type before drawing a conclusion.

Can I afford to buy a house in Lichfield?

The average property in Lichfield costs about £337,052, which is 8.6 times earnings against assumed full-time earnings of £39,039 a year (ONS ASHE), giving an affordability score of 49 out of 100. Mainstream lenders usually cap borrowing at around four to four and a half times income, so a ratio above that generally means a larger deposit, a second income or a cheaper property than the local average. With a ten per cent deposit, repaying the rest costs about £1,954 a month at 6% over 25 years, £856 more than the £1,098 average local rent. The affordability calculator on this page estimates it from your own salary and savings.

How fast is broadband in Lichfield?

About 97.8% of premises in Lichfield can get superfast broadband of 30 Mbit/s or more, and 83.5% can get a gigabit-capable connection, giving a broadband score of 87 out of 100 (Ofcom Connected Nations). These are council-area availability figures - the share of premises able to order each service, not the speed any single line achieves - so check the exact address with the Ofcom broadband checker before committing to it.

What is the job market like in Lichfield?

80.1% of 16 to 64 year olds in Lichfield are in work (NOMIS latest, retrieved Sep 2026, ONS Annual Population Survey via NOMIS), giving an employment score of 68 out of 100. UK local authorities typically range from about 62% to 82%. This is a whole-authority figure, so it describes the local labour market rather than any one town within it.

Are the schools good in Lichfield?

Lichfield records 45.2 on Attainment 8 average score (202425), giving an education score of 34 out of 100. Each nation publishes its own attainment measure and they are not interchangeable, so education scores compare within England, Scotland or Wales and not across them. Attainment is published for the whole council or county rather than for a school catchment, so check individual schools with the inspectorate before deciding.

What is the air quality like in Lichfield?

For the 1 km grid square containing Lichfield, fine particulates (PM2.5) average 6.83 µg/m³ against a World Health Organization guideline of 5 and nitrogen dioxide averages 8.21 µg/m³ against a guideline of 10 (2024, Defra Pollution Climate Mapping, Crown copyright). That gives an environment score of 89 out of 100; an area meeting both guideline levels scores 100. These are modelled background concentrations for the square, not a reading taken at the roadside.

What is there to do in Lichfield?

Within about two kilometres of this point there are 308 mapped amenities, including 79 places to eat and drink, 100 shops, 91 parks and sports facilities and 6 cultural and community venues, giving a lifestyle score of 54 out of 100. Counts come from OpenStreetMap and are measured at this exact location rather than averaged across the council, so they reflect how well served this particular spot is. Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Are there GPs and dentists near Lichfield?

Within about two kilometres of this point there are 3 pharmacies and 3 dentists. 1 hospital is within about eight kilometres. That gives a healthcare score of 28 out of 100. Facilities are counted from OpenStreetMap and the score describes how close services are, not waiting times, capacity or clinical quality.

Does Lichfield have good transport links?

The nearest railway station is Lichfield City Rail Station, about 0.3 km away, and there are 37 bus, tram or metro stops within an 800 metre walk, giving a transport score of 73 out of 100. Stops come from the DfT NaPTAN dataset and are counted for this exact point, so the figure measures access rather than how frequently anything runs.

Which council area is Lichfield in?

Lichfield is in the Lichfield local authority, West Midlands, England. It falls within the Stowe ward and the Lichfield parliamentary constituency. Cost of living, housing, affordability, employment, broadband and education figures in this report are published at local-authority level, so every postcode and town inside Lichfield shares them. Weather, crime, amenities, healthcare, transport and air quality are measured for this point instead.

Is Lichfield a good place for young professionals?

Lichfield scores 65 out of 100 on our young professionals profile, which is weighted towards employment, lifestyle, transport and broadband. That is close to its general score of 63, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area.

Is Lichfield a good place for students?

Lichfield scores 63 out of 100 on our students profile, which is weighted towards cost of living, lifestyle, transport and safety. That is close to its general score of 63, so the weighting neither flatters nor penalises this area. Every area we score is ranked on this basis at /best-places-for-students/.

How does Lichfield compare with the rest of England?

Lichfield sits in the bottom 25% of the 539 UK areas we have scored. The median area in the index scores 67 out of 100. It is furthest above the benchmark for its nation on housing. It is furthest below on healthcare and affordability. Categories are compared against the area's own nation where the samples allow it, because crime and school attainment are measured differently either side of the border.

What are the best places to live near Lichfield?

Of the areas we have scored within about 50 miles of Lichfield, the highest are Tamworth (74 out of 100, about 7 miles away), Cannock (74 out of 100, about 9 miles away) and Burton upon Trent (74 out of 100, about 11 miles away). Lichfield itself scores 63. Distances are straight-line from this point, and each of those names links to its own full report.

Which places are most similar to Lichfield?

Across the twelve category scores, the closest matches elsewhere in Britain are Bromsgrove (Bromsgrove, West Midlands, England), Braintree (Braintree, East of England, England) and Trowbridge (Wiltshire, South West, England). Similarity is the average gap across every category both areas have data for, with immediate neighbours excluded, so these are places that score alike rather than places that look alike or sit nearby.

What area does this report cover?

Weather, crime, local amenities, healthcare access, transport access and air quality are measured for this exact point. Cost of living, affordability, housing, employment and broadband come from official statistics for the Lichfield council area, so nearby postcodes and towns in the same council share those figures. Education comes from the local authority, or from the county where attainment is only published at county level. The "How detailed is this report" section explains each level.